Etymologically
Log in

conductus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word conductus

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Juvenal
Ultimate origin
Latin (dūcō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [kɔnˈdʊk.tʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [konˈduk.tus][1]

Forms

conductus m (genitive conductī); second declension[1]

Etymology

The adjective is the participle of condūcō “to bring together; to hire”, and the noun is from the same verb with the suffix -tus.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD cites Juvenal for the participle in the sense “leased”.[2] Köbler's first source for the noun is Caelius Aurelianus (5th century AD).[3]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective it meant hired, composed of hired men, and as a noun a hired man; in Juvenal it meant taken under contract, leased.[2] The noun conductus meant a contraction of the body in Caelius Aurelianus.[4][5]

In Medieval Latin it meant the carting of the harvest home and a water conduit or pipe.[6] Through Old French conduit it gave English conduit about 1300, and Medieval Latin conductus “guidance” gave English conduct in the mid-15th century, as in safe conduct.[7] The conductus was also a kind of medieval song.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 67–c. 127 AD – Juvenal uses it of what is leased.[2][3]
  • 5th century AD – Caelius Aurelianus uses the noun.[3][4]
  • c. 1300 – English conduit is recorded.[7]
  • mid-15th century – English conduct (noun) is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Hired; leased.[2]

Noun

  1. A contraction (of the body).[4]
  2. (Medieval Latin) A conduit; carting.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Conductus.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/conductus. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·